Equal pay compensation claim rights granted by court in landmark ruling as city council appeal rejected

FORMER council workers in Birmingham have won a landmark equal pay compensation case at the UK’s highest court today.

• Council workers have been granted permission to launch compensation claims against their former employer after landmark ruling

• 170 ex-Birmingham City Council employees are now able to take claims to High Court

Supreme Court judges agreed that 170 former Birmingham City Council employees can launch pay equality compensation claims in the High Court, in a ruling which could have far reaching implications.

In November last year, the Court of Appeal said scores of cooks, cleaners, catering and care staff previously employed by Birmingham City Council were entitled to launch pay equality compensation claims in the High Court.

The city council challenged that decision, but today five Supreme Court justices dismissed the appeal by a majority.

Chris Benson, partner in the employment team at Leigh Day & Co, said: “This is a great day for equality and for all those women massively underpaid over many years within public and private organisations.

“Birmingham Council should now do the decent thing and settle the claims.

“They saved money by underpaying ex-workers for so many years, and so should now stop wasting taxpayers’ money fighting court cases they cannot win.”